Human Metapneumovirus Infection in a Patient with Recurrent Wheezing: Case Report

Abstract

Lower respiratory tract infections are responsible for 28% of preventable and treatable childhood deaths under 2 years of age in the world. In recent years, due to advances on the factors of respiratory tract infections, new agents such as human metapneumovirus (hMPV), coronaviruses, human bocavirus, parvovirus type 4 and type 5, and polyomavirus have been identified in addition to classical respiratory tract viruses. hMPV was first identified in the Netherlands in 2001. hMPV can lead to clinical manifestations ranging from mild upper respiratory tract infection, bronchiolitis and asthma attack, severe pneumonia to acute respiratory distress syndrome. In this article, a 23-month-old patient, who was followed-up with recurrent wheezing, respiratory distress, hypoxemia and in whom hMPV was identified as an etiologic agent, was presented for the purpose of drawing attention to the recent identification of the agent and its rare occurrence in the clinical practice.